How did DePrise Brescia influence baby names?

Swimsuit model DePrise Brescia
DePrise Brescia

The rare name Deprise appeared in the U.S. baby name data for three consecutive years:

  • 1994: unlisted
  • 1993: 5 baby girls named Deprise
  • 1992: 12 baby girls named Deprise
  • 1991: 5 baby girls named Deprise [debut]
  • 1990: unlisted

The even rarer name Brescia was a one-hit wonder in the data a few years later:

  • 1997: unlisted
  • 1996: unlisted
  • 1995: 5 baby girls named Brescia [debut]
  • 1994: unlisted
  • 1993: unlisted

I’m pretty sure the source of both names is a single person: swimsuit model and actress DePrise Brescia, pronounced deh-PREESS — think “Denise” — BRESH-uh.

It’s hard to pinpoint a specific reason, though.

During the early-to-mid ’90s, she was one of the co-hosts on ESPN’s workout show BodyShaping (1988-98), she was featured in multiple Bikini Open pay-per-view specials (as was Symba Smith of Star Search), and she had small roles on several television shows (like Silk Stalkings and Renegade).

I’ve seen her first name rendered various ways (e.g., Deprise, De Prise) but I don’t know how it was coined.

Her surname, on the other hand, has a straightforward explanation: it refers to the city of Brescia in northern Italy.

What are your thoughts on the names DePrise and Brescia? Which one do you like better as a baby name?

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